Katie Ferrell, Project Manager

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DNA Barcoding and the Consortium for the Barcode
of Life

• Katie Ferrell, Project Manager
• National Museum of Natural History
• Smithsonian Institution
• ferrellk_at_si.edu http//www.barcoding.si.edu
• 202/633-0810 fax [phone]

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Why are we here?

• 3 Main Goals of the All-Fungi Barcode Initiative
  Workshop
• Work towards a consensus on barcode region(s)
• Come up with priorities for barcoding project(s)
• Create steering committee charged with
• presenting barcode region proposal if needed
• developing strategies for barcode projects.

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A DNA barcode is a short gene sequence taken
from standardized portions of the genome, used
to identify species
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What DNA Barcoding is NOT

• Barcoding is not DNA taxonomy no single gene (or
  character) is adequate
• Barcoding is not Tree of Life barcode clusters
  are not phylogenetic trees
• Barcoding is not just COI standardizing on one
  region has benefits and limits
• Molecules in taxonomy is not new but large-scale
  and standardization are new

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Associating Life Stages, Processed Parts,
Dimorphic Genders
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Uses of DNA Barcodes

• Applied tool for identifying regulated species
• Disease vectors, agricultural pests, invasives
• Environmental indicators, protected species
• Using minimal samples, damaged specimens, gut
  contents, droppings
• Research tool for improving species-level
  taxonomy
• Associating all life history stages, genders
• Testing species boundaries, finding new variants
• Triage tool for flagging potential new species
• Undescribed and cryptic species

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Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL)

• First barcoding publications around 2002 (Hebert,
  2003)
• Cold Spring Harbor planning workshops in 2003
• Sloan Foundation 2-year grant for 800K May 2004
• Secretariat opens at Smithsonian, September 2004
• First international conference February 2005
• 1.55 million 2-year renewal in April 2006
• Now an international affiliation of
• Natural history museums, biodiversity
  organizations
• Users e.g., government agencies
• Private sector biotech companies, database
  providers

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CBOL Member Organizations 2007

• 150 Member organizations, 45 countries
• 30 Member organizations from 20 developing
  countries

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CBOL Structure
Member Organizations
Executive Committee
Secretariat Office
Working Groups
Scientific Advisory Board
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CBOL-Initiated Projects

• Fish Barcode of Life (FISH-BOL)
• 30,000 marine/freshwater species by 2010
• All Birds Barcoding Initiative (ABBI)
• 10,000 species by 2010
• Tephritid fruit flies
• 2,000 pest/beneficial species and relatives by
  2008
• Mosquitoes
• 3,300 species by 2008
• African scale insects, lake fish, stem-borers

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CBOLs Working Groups

• Database Developing standards for the barcode
  data repository (INSDC)
• DNA Protocols for formalin-fixed and old museum
  specimens Producing LIMS for dissemination
• Data Analysis Beyond phenetic methods
  population genetics perspective
• Plants Identify gene region(s) for barcoding

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Outreach Activities

• Regional meetings in
• Cape Town, South Africa, 7-8 April 2006, SANBI
• Nairobi, Kenya, 18-19 October 2006
• Brazil, March 2007
• Taiwan, September 2007
• Support from CBOL, host governments and
  international development agencies
• Second International Barcode Conference
• Taiwan, September 2007

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Goals of Regional Meetings

• Raise awareness
• Explore potential applications in the region
• Assess greatest needs and opportunities in the
  region
• Identify highest priorities, construct national
  and regional action plans
• Start intra-regional networks and
  intercontinental partnerships

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Tephritids (fruit flies)

• Idea took shape in Stockholm in 2005
• Formed Steering Committee
• CBOL supported planning of the Tervuren meeting
  in February 2006.
• Meeting produced proposal for project
  (Demonstrator project).
• Created networking opportunities

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Scale Insects

• Initiative born out of the Cape Town regional
  meeting in April 2006.
• Pest species worldwide
• Formed a Steering Committee
• CBOL supported the planning of meeting held in
  February 2007 related to barcoding scale insects
• Group faced dual challenges of coming up with
  appropriate region and developing barcode
  projects.

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Plant Working Group

• Working towards finding plant barcode region(s)
• Kress 2005 proposal for ITS and trnh-psbA
• Kew Garden receives Sloan/Moore Foundation
  support, early 2005
• Phase 1 screens 100 genes across 50 sibling
  species pairs
• Phase 2 tests of matK, rpcoC1, rpoB, ndhJ, and
  accD
• Canadian proposal for rbcL
• CBOL protocols for approving barcode regions

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All-Fungi Barcode InitiativeGoals

• Work towards a consensus on appropriate barcode
  region(s) for fungi.
• Develop priorities for future fungi barcoding
  projects.
• Select a steering committee charged with tasks of
  presenting the barcode region proposal to CBOL
  and of coordinating the planning of future
  barcoding projects.
• CBOL will assist in the support of these planning
  efforts.